Don't fret about diet while going on a vacation

Going for a mini vacation and worried as to how you would be able to stick to your diet and fitness regimen?

Don't fret Here are a couple of tips that will help u stay as near as your meal plan specially designed by your Registered Dietician, for your lifestyle

Firstly do not consider diet/ meal plan and exercise regimen as a burden. the key is to incorporate healthy eating and exercise as a part of normal living patterns.

Be well informed about the local foods available at the places that you would be visiting.

Choose wisely the low-fat options available.

Simultaneously, be also aware that low-fat foods are not necessarily low calorie, especially coz then you tend to eat them in larger quantities. The extra carbohydrates proportion created due to the reduction in fat percentage will eventually get converted into fat

Leave your dining table with a feeling that you could have eaten more. Do not stuff your stomach to its fullest capacity

Keep handy snacks like roasted chana, dry fruits (preferably the unsalted ones), fresh fruits, roasted makhanas, khajoor, etc

Avoid loading onto bakery foods in your food luggage bag. even the seemingly low calorie healthy/ whole grain bread and biscuits would do more harm than good coz of the trans-fatty acids or the saturated fats used as leavening agents

Remember the motto 'from farm to plate- no machinery in between'

Instead of popping in peppermints and accumulating sugar and hence fat, the healthy idea would be to keep a stock of natural mouth fresheners like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, etc. these will up your antioxidant quota too.

Do not neglect your protein intakes. Carry packets of skim milk powder with you and enjoy fat-free milk, anytime, anywhere.

Carry sufficient water bottles along. do not tank up on carbonated beverages, just because you feel lazy to carry the extra weight in your handbags.

The extra weight that you put on while consuming these on your memorable trip, would be a disaster to health and lead to guilt later on

Lastly, do not forget your exercise regimen. Remember, muscle mass tends to be lost within 7 days of physical inactivity. Loss of muscle mass leads to reduction in basal metabolic rate and more of fat accumulation and the famous 'yo-yo syndrome.' which makes fat loss difficult later

Physical activity can be any forms like avoiding the elevator and using the staircases only of the hotel. walking as much as possible for short distances, especially when the sight seeing distances are shorter.Asana like Surya namaskar, chakki asanas, etc can be done an early morning in the hotel room itself. Mantra is to keep walking (it will help you burn the extra calories consumed and also keep your metabolic rate elevated.

One would not like to come back from a memorable trip outstation and be bogged down with the guilt of fat tires and love handles accumulated. prevention is better than cure.

Most importantly, even if you have failed to follow any of these tips, pl do not forget to go to your Registered Dietician for your regular scheduled follow-up visit

Stay healthy, stay blessed